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As the NHLers dash up and down the ice at the Bell Sensplex, Mark Fraser, with his blue jersey, stands out.

Most of the players on the ice are Senators -- Boston's Chris Kelly and Detroit's Daniel Alfredsson are among the exceptions.

But Fraser has on his Toronto Maple Leaf colours. Loud and proud.

The hometown kid grew up in Blackburn Hamlet, always a good athlete, always working hard to get to where young kids dream about getting -- the NHL. Wearing the Maple Leaf means a lot to him.

"I played just about every sport as a kid, but hockey was the one that stuck, just being a Canadian kid, I guess," said Fraser. "My brother and I were athletic guys growing up. Like most Canadian kids, hockey was just part of our culture. Whether it was on the street, on video games or in the backyard, we played hockey all the time."

That passion for the game paid off.

The New Jersey Devils called his name in the third round of the 2005 draft. It would take seven years, but via way of a trade from the Anaheim Ducks, the 26-year-old rugged stay-at-home defenceman, found himself in a Leaf uniform.

"It doesn't take you long to understand the pride, the heritage and the history of the Leafs," said Fraser. "You see the alumni walking through -- Sittler, Clark and Sundin -- there's a lot of pride. You see it across the country with Leaf Nation. As a Canadian kid, you instantly appreciate what it means to be a Leaf."

The son of The Honourable Mr. Justice Hugh Fraser, he has a home a bit west of downtown Ottawa. It's where he spends his summers.

"This is home," he said. "It's where my grandparents, my parents and all my friends are from. I love Toronto, I enjoy living and playing there, but it's nice to come back to a slower and quieter pace in the summer.

"There's still a strong Toronto community in Ottawa. And even within my own family, there are a few Sens fans."

He was surprised at the intensity of the Battle of Ontario when he returned home with the Leafs last season.

"It was always really special to come home," said Fraser. "But it's a different thing playing for the Leafs. The loudest game I'd ever played in, maybe except for the playoff games this year, was in Ottawa when Eugene Melnyk tried to encourage fans not to give their tickets to Leaf fans. It was a phenomenal experience because the fans were into it, we were into it and you see the amazing rivalry it's become in Ontario.

"The fact that hometown players can get booed in their own building is a weird thing. All the Leaf fans come out in this town."

He's from a family of sprinters -- his dad was an Olympian and his brother Curtis was also a great runner. Mark, the hockey player, says he can hold his own.

"In a straight line on the ice, I think I'm deceptive as to how fast I can be," he said. "A few foot races that I've won, the guys might have been surprised. The tough thing on the ice is when you start to mix in edges and crossovers, that's when I turned into a big body on the ice."

And now, as training camp draws closer, out in a corner of the west-end rink -- friends now, foes in a couple of weeks -- the NHLers are doing what they can to get ready.

"There are guys out here who I might have gotten into a fight with before," said Fraser. "But after the game, it's what happens on the ice stays on the ice."